Subject: Reading text files on-line in FTP

2. *****
 Q: How to read scrolling text files on-line during an FTP session?

 A: Take a moment to study the two tricks in the demonstration
session log below. The tricks are "ls -CF" and "ls -lF |less". A
third trick is to have a terminal emulator with a scroll-back
buffer. E.g. MsKermit terminal emulation program has this convenient
feature. You can even read a text file with theses trick by applying
eg "get README |less". You can direct a listing to a file. Example
"ls -lF dir.log". You shell from the session by "!less dir.log" to
read the file.
               *** IMPORTANT NOTICE ***
Handy as these tricks are, you should use them judiciously, since
they keep the FTP connection open. Recall that there may be many
simultaneous users at the more popular FTP sites. It is better to
decrease the load by first getting the text files (eg the example
README, especially if it is long) and read them at your leasure at
your own host after you have closed the FTP connection. There may
even access limitations on the maximum simultaneous number of FTP
users, so do not hog the connection.
  > ftp garbo.uwasa.fi                             <--- your input
  Connected to garbo.uwasa.fi.
  220 garbo.uwasa.fi FTP server ready.
  Name (garbo.uwasa.fi:ts): anonymous              <--- your input
  331 Guest login ok, send ident as password.
  Password: [your email address]                   <--- your input
  230 Guest login ok, access restrictions apply.
  ftp> ls -CF                                      <--- your input
  200 PORT command successful.
  150 Opening ASCII mode data connection for /bin/ls.
  .FSP_CONTENT    bin/            lost+found/     pc/             ql/
  .message        dev/            ls-lR.Z         photos/         unix/
  CD-ROM.INF      etc/            mac/            private-ajh/    usr/
  CDROM/          garbo-gifs/     mirror/         private-hv/     windows/
  HELP            home-brew/      next/           private-ts/
  226 Transfer complete.
  remote: -CF
  211 bytes received in 0.03 seconds (6.8 Kbytes/s)
  ftp> cd /pc/ts                                   <--- your input
  250 CWD command successful.
  ftp> ls -lF |less                                <--- your input
  200 PORT command successful.
  150 Opening ASCII mode data connection for /bin/ls.
  total 4087
  -rw-rw-r--  1 ts          29359 Oct 11 04:03 0news-ts
  -rw-rw-r--  1 ts          36892 Dec 31  1990 0news89.ts
  [parts deleted]
  -rw-rw-r--  1 ts          39143 May 31  1989 tsf2cm15.zip
  -rw-rw-r--  1 ts          82531 Aug 18 11:46 tsfaqn37.zip
  :q                                               <--- your input
  226 Transfer complete.
  local: |less remote: -lF
  3638 bytes received in 70 seconds (0.051 Kbytes/s)
  ftp> close                                       <--- your input
  221 Goodbye.
  ftp> quit                                        <--- your input
  >
There is also an alternative approach to reading long text files
on-line if you are using a PC for your terminal emulation.  Get a
screen buffer program where you can scroll the text back and forth.
For example get
 45720 Oct 19 01:08 ftp://garbo.uwasa.fi/pc/screen/scrlit18.zip
 scrlit18.zip SCROLLit, Advanced Screen ScrollBack Buffer (good)
or whatever version is the current. Another scrollback buffer
program is /pc/screen/buffit30.zip.
--------------------------------------------------------------------